Heed musical instrument



Jan. s 1924.

1,480,039 H. ALPERs REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 13. 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WITNESS:

ATTORNEY Jan. 8 1924. 1,480,039

` H. ALPERS REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Feb. 13. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheat 2f $66.5. m 0 25 r A /5 L1n" "`.36 UU' /0 \59 WITNESS:

Jan. 8 1924. 1,480,039

H. ALPERs REED MUSICAL ms'rnuuw'r Filed Feb. 13. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Illlllll ffy/ffy V97 ens WITNESS:

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES HENRY ALPERS, 0F COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA.

REED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Applicaton'led February 13, 1922. ASerial No. 536,226.

To vall 'whom 'it 'may camera:

:Ber .it known that I, HENRY ALrERs, a citizen ofthe United States,re'sidin at C0- lumbus, in the county of Platte and tate of Nebraska,have invented new and useful Improvements in Reed Musical Instruments.of. whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in reed musical instruments andis in part a continuation of a pendin application filed by me July 18,1921, andearin'g the Serial No.485,480. w The invention is especiallydesigned for use upon a-saxophone, whereby the range of notes played maybe increased, thejnvention further permitting certain` Vnotes to beplayed without the use of'individual-keys, so that these keys may beeliminated and {ingeringof the instrument thus simplified.

Another object of the invention is the provision of .means asabove setforth, which may be manufactured in connection with the instrument, or,maybe separately manufacturedl-andafterward attached.--v y v f-lVith theabove and other object'szinview,

' Ethe' invention further .includesth'e following novel featuresanddetails of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described,illustrated in the accompanying. drawingsand pointed out in --theappended. claims.

' l -In'the drawlngsz- Figure 1 is an elevation of the upper portion ofa saxophone and-illustrating the invention. f 1w;

Figure 2 isa view at right angles to Figure 1 with the neck and mouthpiece brokeni awa Figure 3 1s an enlarged detail sectional view 4taken'longitudina ly of the neck of the instrument' and showing theAinvention illustratingthe subject'matter .of YFigure 4.

-Fi ure 6 is a, transverse sectional v1eWon the line 6-6 of Figure 5. e

Fi 're Tis a view similar toFigure 1 showing a different valvearrangement.

fFigure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken longitudinally throughthe neck of ,the instrument shown in Figure 7. Figur;J 9 is a section onthe line 9-j-9 of re .f 4.1 I .l ferring in detail fto the drawings, and

more especially -to the form of the invention shown inFigures 1, 2 and3, the bodylof lthe g saxophone is indicated .at.10, theneck at 11,.,and the mouth ieee at 12, while thelsecond 0n octave key is s own at 13.This key .may. l be operated in the usual manner, that lis byI means ofa spring actuated rock shaft 14 having a linger piece 15 and an arm i16,the latter controlling the operationof a-springV of offset armV 1,7.Thev arm 17 extends within 'a .ring 18 whichis secured to one end ofthesecond joctave key 13 and when ,the-.fingen 'piece 15 isj depressedto.release tllealmA 17;,

thelatterfwillV act toengage therin 18 and 70 open the second octave keyagainstt eaction of its spring. All of the foregoing is of the usualwell known construction The invention includes a casing 19 v vhieh` islocatedupon the neck of the instrument ,'75 between themouth piece 12andthe secondI octave key 13, the said casing providingA an 9;;

Vneck l1`l and the-opposite end extended'- to receive the mouthpiece-12.l:'l`he` casing which :providesthe chamber -is preferably.,

formed in separate sections, one of -whch is:A

attached tothe tubular -member 21while the 90 other is slidable alongsaid member. and pro. vides a removable closure 22 for ther chamber. Thetubular member 21 is provided with an opening 23 whereby .communicationbetween the neck oi the instrument and the -95 chamber` 2O ma beestablished. This open ing is controlle by a. valve, which in Figure 3of the drawings is shown asa pivotally. movable or hinged lvalve 24having a come; pressible disk or 4washer 25 Afor engagement, 100

g over the opening .23. -The Avalve ,is p'lv'otallyA -mounted as shown`at 26 and; is .yieldinglyifheld. in normal position by' -meansiylfqfuagspring 27. An arm 28 is connectedtothe., valve 24 gandthis arm yhas.securedv thereto 105 one, end 'of a ,connecting member 29.

connecting member may be either in the, forlmA of a exib e element orcord passing .thrOlVJ-gh an opening 30 provided in t .ecafsing 19, :onit may be in the lform of a wire' o r 1111.110 the latter event theopening 30 will hesuit` ably lined toprevent vibration. .4

ever

The opposite end ofthe connecting member 29 is'conriected-'tothe rockshaftl4- and for this purpose, the said shaft is provided with an arm 31which extends in a direc tion opposite to the arm 1G and is providedwith a. right angularly disposed finger 32, to which the member 29 issecured. This finger 32 serves a two-fold purpose, namely, to rovidemeans for connection with one end-ofthe member 29 and to provide meansfor' actuatinglthe second octave key l1` 'to move the latter to a closedposition.

It will be seenfrom the foregoing description and the accompanyingdrawings, that, a rocking movement of the rod 14 will ril-st serve toopenthesecond octave key 13 so as to V'permit the instrument to beplayed in the usual manner. B the use othis key however, notes only asliiirh as F in the third octave'may be played. lilith the use of theinvention however notes above F in the third octave may be played andthe range of the instrument may be increased to high C ih the' thirdoctave.

In order to play notes above l" in the third octave, the fingen ieee 15is tin-ther depiss'e'ti S'o that the hnger' will erhgagothe ring 18 andmove the second octave key to a closed position and at the same timeopen tliifvlv'cl So`l als toprinit of thc passage ofiii'r'through-theop'ening 23 into the chamb 20' d'outliard through theneck.

Bocted 'wit-hi the ,tubular member 2l is' an upwardly ntilinetl channelmember 313, which' etendsfupt'v'ardly across the opening 23!- '.l`lth'a'nnelbd member is relatively wide at its' lower en'd andV convergesto a comparatively narrow restricted passage. Moisture entering thetubular member 21 will thus bedirectetl upward across the op 23 Without'assing throuf'h said opciignto the cham er 20. Should howzin'y mi's'teenter this chamber. it may' ptissout'niad through the opening' 3i), ortlugh an' additional opening' 34 provd'd' 'ri the' 'c'a'sng' 19'.

Iii 'ddtidiito operating' th'e` second octav'e' li? 13 and the valve 24,the rocl'c shaft 14 its nger piece 15 will also' act to' operate'"'ie"of the usna'l instru-ment pads Foi` this purpose* there is provided anger 36f1hch has one e'nd connected to a bar 3'? *which cfiiates thepa'd 35 in the usual manl 1raise iidits opposite end e'teniing beneaththe'jgei plece l5, that when the latter isdepressed it 4vill actuat'ethe: bar 37 and t "e iv'entin is primarily designed to" increase therange of notes played on the iristixfreiit', it also permits of theplaying of th'iiots D', E fiat,`E natural and F natul and the' padsordinarily used for these notes may: 'eliminated so that notes from C tCin th' third ctv may he played by opening the valve 24. In addition,notes in' the second octave may be played Without the use ot a secondoctave key and.. this hey may also be eliminated. To accomplish this,the first octave key which is indicated at 3S in Figures 4, 5 and G ofthe drawings is moved to the opposite side of the rock shnl't lat whichis previously occupied. The purposeotthis-is to Apermit this key 38 tohe opened simultaneously with the opening of the valve 24 and for thispurpose the said hey 25S is connected to the shaft 14 by means of an arm39. 'lhe finger piece l5 may thus iii-st be depressed to raise the pad38,*while a 'iurthcr pressure will opcn the valve 24 with the key 3Sremaining open and permit of the playing oi' notes in the second andthird octave without the use of a second octave key.

In Figures 7, S and 9 of the drawings, the construction is substantiallythe same as that shown in Figures 1, 17.` and 3, thecasing i9 boingprovided with atubulnr member 2l passing therethrough for en agementwith the neck 11 o the saxop one.

lhis tubular member 21 has an openin .23

therein and this o ening is controlled y. a. slide valve-40 whic ismoved longitudinally of the member 2L and is Guided betweenthe saidtubular member anc a sleeve 41 ex* tending Within the chamber 20?. Theslide .'alve' at() is of arcuate cross sectional shape so as' to liesnugly against the outer'- surface of the tubular member 2;1* and isyieldingly held' inthis position by means of aspx-'mg The casingl'` isprovidedwith a drain opening which may be: normally closed by a* screw'plug 43.

The valve 40 is o eratedby means on the rock shaft 14 and fiir thispurposethe' mid shaft is provided with an arm Miwhi'chs is adapted toengage' a substantially rightangnlarly dispos'edf am'- -1-5 located atthe end. of a rod 46. The opposite end of this rnd 46 is scoured to'th'e'slide valve 40. The xiod 46 is' guided in' a bearing 47 secured tothe neck of the saxophone and is surroundedfby a spring 48., thelatter-having one end contacting' with thel hearing 47 and opposite endcontacting' with a' collar 49 secured to the rod 4G. In this form of theinv'envliitmf the shaft ,let is in communication with the secondAoctave' key 13, the latter remaining closed during the use of the valve40 and be'- inir opened in the' n'snal manner during' the ordinari-yplaying of the instrument.

The' invention is susceptible of various changes in its orm, proportionsand minor details of construction and the right is herein reserjifed tomake such changes as plofp` erly fall Within the scope of the' appendedclaims. A

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. The combinationwith a saxophone, of :t easing, 'e tube. extending through and beyondeach end of the casing -for connection with the neck and mouth piece ofthe instrument, said tube having an opening therein for communicationwith the interior of the casing, a valve located within the casing tocontrol such communication and means whereby the valve may be operated.

2. A saxa hone having an enlarged neck defining a c amber havingcommunication with the interioi: of the neck, a valve controlling suchcommunication, means whereby the valve may be operated and meansincluded in the valve operating means for controlling the operation ofan octave key.

3. The combination with a reed musical instrument having an octave keyand means for operating the key,l of an enlargement in the neck of theinstrument, said enlargement defining a chamber having communicationwith the interior oi the neck, means for controlling such communication,means operated by the octave key operating means for openin the valveand means whereby the octave ey will be closed when the valve is opened.

4. The combination with a reed musical instrument having an octave keyand means for operating the key, of an enlargement in the neck of theinstrument, said enlargement defining a chamber having communicationwith the interior of the neck, means for controlling such communication,means operated by the octave key operating means for opening the valveand means included in the octave key operating means for closing theoctave key when the valve is opened.

5. The combination with a C melody saxaphone, of means including a valvecontrolled chamber having communication with the interior of the neck ofthe instrument, whereby notes above F in the third octave may be played.

6. The combination with a C melody saxaphone, of means including a valvecontrolled chamber having communication with the interior of the neck ofthe instrument. whereby notes from C to C in the third octave may beplayed.

-7. A C melody saxaphone having an enlarged neck defining a chamberhaving communication with the interior of the neck, a valve controllingsuch communication, means for controlling the operation of the valve andmeans included in the valve controlling means for simultaneouslyoperating an octave key, whereby notes from A in the second octave to Cin the third octave may be played.

8. A saxaphone embodying a chamber extending around the neck of theinstrument between the mouth piece and keys and communicating with theinterior of said neck and means for controlling such communication toincrease the range of notes.

9. In a saxaphone, a casing, a tubular member extending through saidcasing for attachment to and communication with the instrument, saidtubular member having an opening therein within the casing, a normallyseated valve for closing said opening and means located upon the outsideof the casing for operating the valve to admit air into the casing toincrease the range of notes.

10. 'In a saxaphone, a casing, a tubular member extending through thecasing for attachment to and communication with the wind passage of theinstrument, said tubular member having an opening therein within thecasing, a normally seated valve for closing said opening and means controlled by one of the keys of the instrument` whereby the valve may beoperated to admit air into the casing to increase the range of notes.

11. A saxaphone having an enlarged portion defining a chamber havingcommunical tion with the interior of the neck, a valve controlling suchcommunication, means whereby the valve may be operated. and a moistureconveyor located within the tube of the saxaphone to prevent the passageof moisture into the chamber.

12. A Saxe-phone having an enlarged neck defining;r a chamber havingcommunication with the interior of the neck, a valve controlling suchcommunication. means wherebv the valve mav be operated and4 an upwardly.inclined channel shaped moisture conveyor located within the tube ofthe saxaphone to prevent the passage of moisture into the chamber.

In testimony whereof T aix mv signature.

HENRY TJP'ERS.

